Samhain is the start of the Celtic year, when the Crone takes the dead Oak King back into her womb, to be reborn at Winter Solstice. It is a time when the veils between the worlds are at their thinnest, and it is possible to contact those who are not in physical incarnation, those who have lived, and those who are yet to be born.
It is when the real dark times have come, the shift that happens at Autumn Equinox has become manifest, the leaves are off the trees and Winter is here.
In keeping with this energy, we will be doing workshops and ceremonies that embrace this darkness, and show how to go within to connect with instincts and feelings, using the dark times to integrate and absorb all that has happened in the year, so that one is ready for renewal and rebirth in the spring. The winter is a valuable time when we can go inside and rest and refresh ourselves after the activity of the summer months.

At the winter solstice the sun finishes its journey of going further and further south, of rising later each day and setting earlier till the days seem so short and the nights so long. The change is very subtle, as the rate of change is at its slowest around the solstices, but still it is a sign of hope as we see the light start to return, and the days slowly lengthen. In cultures around the world, it is a time of the Reborn Sun/Son, and a time of celebration and feasting.
We will be holding an open celebration on the longest night, Friday 21st December, with a big fire, a real and tangible symbol of the heat and light of the sun, stored by trees to warm us in the cold and dark. By coming together at this time, to feast and celebrate, we affirm that the light and warmth will return, and that we can survive the dark by sharing what we have.

This is the time when the returning light becomes obvious, and is one of the four Cross Quarter days, sometimes known as the Fire Festivals. The others are Samhain, Beltane and Lammas. The physical changes of the solar festivals, the equinoxes and solstices, take time to have an effect, and it is at the following Fire festival that we can see these changes manifesút around us in Nature. Imbolc is sacred to Bride, or Bridget as she is sometimes known, the Maiden, and is a time of rebirth for all women, as we emerge from the winter womb.
This is a time when we hold separate events for men and for women, and then come together again for a joint feast, after the different ceremonies. It is a joyous and exciting time, when the first signs of spring are showing in the flowering of snowdrops and the birth of lambs, and this will be reflected in the ceremonies.

The shift of light and dark happens once more, as the days now become longer than the nights, and we can start to make plans for the summer. Although it may well still seem cold and wet, still the birds are singing their courting songs, and the daffodils are sharing their glorious golden colour all around us. All Nature seems to go yellow at this time in fact, as if to encourage the sun to come out and join in this surge of yellow energy.
The Equinox ceremony will take place on march 20th, and will be open to all who wish to come along and plant seeds for their future in 2008. This will happen on both a literal and a metaphysical level, as seeds are put in pots and wishes are offered to the fire, in the hope that the spirits will take them and help to make them grow.

A time of great joy, when the Maiden and the Oak King join in the sacred marriage, and all of Nature is full of birth and fertility. The shift towards spring is now fully manifest, and the leaves are back on the trees, the flowers are out and baby animals and birds are everywhere.
As one of the Fire Festivals, Beltane has never left our culture completely, and so traditions such as the Maypole dance are still well known. We will have both a Maypole and a big fire, which can be jumped by the brave to stimulate joy and fertility in their lives!

The height of summer, when the sun reaches its furthest point on the journey north, the days are longest and the nights are shortest. It is a time of hard work, taking full advantage of the light , and also a time to reach out, and travel to see other folk and sacred sites. The warmth of summer is here, and we can enjoy being outside, and feeling the sun on our bodies, nurturing us and restoring health and vigour.
This is a powerful time, since it is the longest day, and yet it is also the time when the days start to shorten again, and the remorseless slide down towards the darkness starts again. Our ceremony will reflect this paradox, and give us a chance to prepare for the shift in a conscious and happy way.

The peak of the summer season, when the warmth and growth have reached their maximum, and it is time to harvest the first fruits, and also enjoy a chance to relax in the sun before the real work of harvest starts. In the celtic world it was a time of war games, when the young men would joust together in practise for the serious business of war, and the women prepared a feast for them to return to share.
Our ceremonies will once again be separate, with the male mysteries happening apart from the women, and involving them trying their strength and courage between each other. The women will prepare the feast and fire, and all will join together to celebrate.

All of Nature is ripe and ready to be harvested, and we must work together to reap the full benefit of all this bounty. It is a time to look at what we have produced this year, give thanks for it, and make ready to use it to full advantage. The days are about to grow shorter, and the dark is ready to embrace us once more.
Our ceremony will be both an honouring of the harvest and a preparation for the next stage, entering the darkness, when our vision for the next year can be planted, ready to start to germinate at winter solstice, after we have had our rest time over samhain, the time of rest and reflection. Contact us for more details about joining our celebrations

For further information, please visit our Important Dates page or feel free to Contact Us.

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